Jet Lag
by Soul Flash
Summary: Kyman. Goodbyes are always hard. They're even harder for Kyle. Fluffy, fluffy, plain and simple. Oneshot.


**AN: What's this? Soul's still alive, still breathing? She didn't die in some accident or contract some serious disease?**

**That's right. I'm still here. Just not active. Why not? I'll keep it as short and simple as I can. I started out this summer being very busy. As some of you know, I lost interest in continuing RMA, and that seemed to slowly transfer to where I didn't want to write at all. I had no confidence in myself whatsoever, first problem being that everything I wrote was boring and terrible and bleh, and the second problem being that I suck with interesting, juicy plots. These things both pitted me into a deep depression that I'm now slowly getting out of. So yeah. I mean, I couldn't abandon you guys out of the blue. And I'm still not. I just did this summer. Sorta. Mostly. **

**Anyway, hopefully I'll get out of this rut soon. I'm still a little shaky with my confidence in plots, but hopefully I'll get it back soon. **

**In the meantime, enjoy this super fluffy Kyman story. I'll mention now that the Eric Elephant, Kyle's stuffed elephant, used in here is in fact OSN's, who she invented and used in her story Do No Wrong. She was all for me using him in this story; in fact, she practically instisted on it because she thought it would be cool if we used him as a returning character in our fics. Interchangable and all. I dunno, something like that. He's in here for you, hon. Because I love him, and as a thanks for you putting up with me and my bitchy self and pulling me out of this slump. Love ya! XP**

**Enjoy the story! **

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"Alright. I've gotta go check in and check my luggage. You'll be alright from here on out, right?"

Kyle nodded meekly as his eyes pitifully rose up to meet those of his boyfriend's, the hustle and bustle in his peripheral vision nothing but an annoyance at the moment. The Denver city airport was the epitome of a madhouse at the current time, seeing as it was a Friday, and Kyle had to sidestep multiple times in order to dodge several stragglers who were likely late for their flight. Focusing his eyes behind his boyfriend to the scene behind him, he felt his heart sink. It had been hard enough for him and Cartman to get in the place, which was about an hour ago. Now that the hour had gone by and added another hundred? Two hundred? people to the mix, Kyle wasn't certain he would even be able to make it back on his own.

"I guess so," he mumbled in an almost unrecognizable voice. His right hand tugged and fluffed the ear of a light blue, plush elephant, the only source of comfort that would be available to him once Eric was gone to board his flight. "Are you sure you can't just stay and do it some other time?" He pouted, throwing this hand in hand with his usual bright, teary-eyed puppy dog look – his ultimate concoction that did Eric in every time.

Except for this one.

"No, sweetheart," Eric replied tenderly, giving his boyfriend a sort of disappointed smile as he slumped against the wall and reached a hand out to ruffle the boy's hair. "I can't. This is really important. I need to go sign these papers so that I get the money that my aunt left me in her will. It needs to get done fast, too. Look, I won't be gone for long, okay? It's only two days." His lips quickly curved into a bright smile, and he clasped both of Kyle's shoulders in an attempt to cheer him up. "Two days!"

But despite Cartman's efforts, Kyle only gave a weak smile in return that lasted for about two seconds before it fell to the same default frown he had been carrying for the past ten minutes. "I guess...," he sighed heavily, shifting the elephant in his arms so that he could cuddle it tight against his chest. "But still." What energy was driving his voice was now lost, and he trailed off slowly into silence as his eyes fell to gaze at the still, stark, boring ground beneath him.

The depressing mood set by his boyfriend hit him as well, and Cartman gave a short sigh of his own while bringing his hand back up to stroke Kyle's hair in the most caring way he knew how. A strand of hair tucked behind an ear, a soft touch to the scalp; Cartman didn't have to see the smile creeping up on Kyle's face to know that he was in some way making a difference. He just knew. It was second nature to him now, more important than keeping up a hardcore diet or counting up how much money he was pocketing from various schemes, none of which he did anymore thanks to the what he would call angel standing before him now. All of those things were forgotten now in light of Kyle coming formally into his life, and Eric couldn't say that he would have it any other way. He was certainly a healthier person now that his former rival was now part of him and everything he did. Nothing he did now excluded Kyle as a primary thought, this flight included. Yes, they would both be torn apart from each other, but it would be for the best. The money, what little it would be, would help them in the long run, possibly Cartman in getting an over-the-top engagement ring for Kyle. Who knew? What Cartman did know was that what family he had left wasn't too fond of Kyle, being just as anti-Semitic or more as he had been in years previous, and leaving his boyfriend behind was the best option for them both.

"But nothing." Cartman said in a stern, commanding voice as he reached into his pants pocket to pull out his cellphone. Upon checking the time he muttered out an, 'Oh, shit,' and stuffed it right back where it was before he picked up his bags and got set to leave. "Look, it's gonna be okay, okay?" A slow nod from Kyle had him chuckling under his breath and reaching forward for a sweet kiss in the cheek. "I have to go now, but promise me you'll take care of Eric, okay? Give him lots of love while I'm gone."

As Cartman used his free hand to pet the stuffed elephant in Kyle's arms, Kyle nodded with more purpose this time, like this was a mission worth carrying out. In his eyes, it really was. "O-okay. Yeah." His smile instantly brightened as he spoke. "I'll make sure that he does. I'll give him twice the love since you won't be here for him. Though he will get pretty lonely..." Kyle pouted pitifully again, still garnering for Eric's complete affection and ultimate decision to stay.

Still, it didn't sway him. "He'll be fine. It's just two days. Now." Cartman looked behind him for a second to check the line, mainly using it as a prep to get him to leave, before he turned back to Kyle. "I've gotta get going. I'll call you when I get there, okay?" Even with the luggage weighing him down, Cartman still reached out to give Kyle one last warm, loving hug.

"Okay...," Kyle mumbled sadly, clinging immediately to Cartman with Eric Elephant mushed in between them. His voice began to waver, only one of many signs that indicated the rush of tears about to come. "I'll miss you..."

Cartman bit his lip and hugged Kyle tighter. "Aw, baby," he whispered affectionately, pressing a soft kiss to Kyle's neck. "I'll miss you, too. So much."

A soft sniffle was heard, followed by, "Be safe. Please."

Cartman chuckled and patted Kyle's back in return. "I will. I will." He grunted as he gave Kyle one last final squeeze before pulling back and looking at him seriously. "You be safe going home. I can tell it's going to be crazy out today. It's Friday, and Denver is a bitch. Ice, assholes on the road..."

Kyle ran a tongue over his lips to moisten them and smiled at his boyfriend's word choice. "Okay. I will." He then hesitated for a moment, rearranged Eric Elephant in his arms, and looked back up at Cartman with that same look of desperation he had before. "I love you..."

This shocked Cartman out of an immediate reply, but this didn't mean that he missed giving one altogether. "I love you, too, Kyle." He reached forward again, luggage be damned, and gave Kyle a series of short but loving kisses on the lips; something that cost him another extra minute of time he needed, but not something he felt went to waste at all. "I love you, too," he finished, the tiniest bit short of breath. "I'll see you in two days, okay?" All Kyle gave him was another weak nod and a cling, which Cartman heartily returned before he pulled back and began to head towards check-in.

Kyle stood his ground and gave him a sad wave goodbye as he watched his beloved leave for his flight, the sense of loneliness settling down in the bottom of his stomach where it boiled, sizzled, and filled his body with a rush of anxiety. As he turned his back and began to walk back towards the front, he felt nothing around him but a cold, numb, empty world. As many people as there were around him, they didn't mean anything to them. They didn't give him a warm rush of love, or chase away his fears of being left alone. They didn't calm his racing heart and provide him a strong body to take shelter in.

The farther away he walked from Eric, the faster his heart beat, and the colder his world became.

He immediately took out his cellphone and checked it to make sure it was on silent. Not ring, not vibrate; silent. As strange as it was, what with him having separation anxiety issues with Cartman, Kyle couldn't bear to hear his boyfriend's voice when he wasn't standing right next to him within reach. Hearing Eric's voice away from him, whether it was on the phone or on a recording, served as just a tease to Kyle, a reminder of sorts that the one he loved most wasn't there for him to love and be loved in return.

After he made sure his phone was on the right setting, Kyle stuffed it back in his pocket and hugged Eric Elephant tighter, silently preparing for his long trip home alone.

Farther down the stretch of the airport, Cartman stood in one grueling line of many he would have to endure. The ticket check line wasn't _as _long as some of the others (the check baggage line was at least twice as long), and that was something he began to feel settling down in the bottom in his stomach as fear. As he wiped the palms of his hands on his pants, the handle of one bag of his luggage dropping and bumping lightly against his leg, he groaned not so subtlety under his breath in order to make his discomfort known and shifted on his already sore feet. Irritated as he acted, the line still didn't move any faster, and he was stuck in the same place for minutes upon minutes until, finally, the line inched forward a person. He picked up his largest luggage bag off of the ground, slid it forward an inch, and let it plop to the floor again.

Only four more people to go.

While he was waiting, arms crossed and brow knotted in an annoyed stare, Cartman looked around him for anything at all interesting. He immediately noticed the flight times board, placed very obviously above the main desk he had previously been staring so intently at. Curious, he scanned the flashing numbers and light up above, sifting through the names of cities for his own. It took him awhile, but he finally found it listed somewhere in the middle in the fourth column. His eyes traced their way from the city name, Denver, switching over to the destination, Nebraska, then to flight departure and flight arrival. However, instead of seeing the usual time he had memorized, stamped on his brain, he saw instead one single word that now had his plans changed for the day.

_Canceled._

He read it over once. It flashed, and when it appeared on the screen again he read it twice, three times. He let his eyes wander over back to the city names and made sure he was following the band right. He held his pointer finger up in the air and traced a line along with his eyes, back and forth, and still it read what he had seen the first time. Canceled, canceled, the flight from Denver to Lincoln was canceled. He was about to read over the sudden news again and let it sink in so that he could then celebrate, but he quickly realized from the sharp bark of a customer who was standing behind him that he was next in the long line of people, and now the new culprit who was responsible for making the line move so slowly.

Without a moment's hesitation, Cartman jumped and grabbed his baggage as quickly as he could, dragging it up to the counter and pulling out just his ticket. Before the woman at the desk could speak to him, he slapped his ticket on the cold, metal desk and flashed her a more than ecstatic grin.

"Excuse me," he breathed out, looking down at his ticket, then up at her, "But I have a flight from here to Lincoln, Nebraska. I just saw on the board up there that this flight's canceled, though, is that true?"

The woman carefully examined the ticket (for what reason, Cartman didn't know), looked back up at him, and gave a slight nod. "Yes, sir. There's a terrible thunderstorm going on there right now, and all flights have been canceled."

"That's all I needed to know." Cartman said cheerfully, slapping his hand over the ticket and taking it back. "Thank you so much, ma'am!" And before the woman could bother to say another word, he had his luggage in hand again and was running off back the way he came. Everything about him was speeding up now, gaining momentum, he was ecstatic, joyful, happy beyond belief! His legs, his eyes, his mind, all searching for one person and one person only in an erratic rhythm which matched his pounding feet. His brain raced, hoping, hoping... Enough time had passed for him to possibly be out of the airport by now, but Cartman hoped to god he wasn't.

Surprisingly enough, even to Kyle, he in fact hadn't made it out yet. He had taken his time walking back through what part of the airport he was allowed to walk through, stopping in various gift shops and by different food courts along the way, these things only serving to remind him of one thing and one thing only. What little time he had spent today with Cartman had been spent in one of these places, and while he knew it would break his heart like a bullet to a mirror, he still couldn't help but be drawn to them. For some reason they gave him time to think, mainly to freak out about how Cartman, his one and only Cartman, wasn't by his side anymore. And he wouldn't be by his side for two days. To some that wouldn't seem like such a long time; to a select few it would be heavenly, as they would be glad to be rid of their spouse or lover for that amount of time, if not longer. But for the few like Kyle, it was like ripping the heart out, shredding the skin off of the bones. It was hardly bearable, and the only thing he had as a crutch was a stuffed elephant of the same name. But did it really help him? Solace was far from him now, as soft and nonjudgmental as this toy in his arms was.

Tears brimmed at his eyes for the entire time he had been separated from Cartman. Now sitting on a bench out of the way of busy passengers trying to get to where they were going, Kyle was out of the world he didn't belong in at the moment. He pushed his tears back again and stroked Eric Elephant's back absently, barely even feeling the soft fur against the palm of his hand. He squeezed his left hand a little around the elephant's leg as he gave a dead stare ahead.

It wasn't a good feeling. And as he sat there, utterly oblivious and inattentive to the happenings around him, Kyle found himself at a loss. What would he do now? Could he muster up the strength to walk all the way back to the car, out in the cold, bitter snow where he had no one to cuddle up to for warmth? Did he have the energy to climb into the car and drive all of the way back to South Park, more than an hour away, and enter his home with nothing but the clothes on his back and toy in his arms?

Cartman was everything to him now. As crazy as he would be for spending more than one night in the airport, could he really leave him behind?

But even Kyle could still tell himself he was thinking insane thoughts now. That was absurd, and as close as he was to considering it, he instead shook his head firmly and stood to leave. Reality was reality, and what Kyle had to believe was that there would be plenty of times after this where he and Cartman would be apart, and he would have to be strong during those times. He was no child anymore. His childhood made him grow up faster than he would have liked, and perhaps that was why he was acting so childish now. Whatever the reason, though, all he could do from here was suck it up and get out before he had a major breakdown in front of all of these strangers.

Little did he know, Cartman wasn't too far behind him. In fact, he, actively seeking out his boyfriend, could now see bits and glimpses of Kyle's red hair in the distance over the crowds of people filling up the space between them. So close and yet so far, and irritating beyond belief. Cartman had a little more respect now, but man if he was younger... plowing through these assholes would be no chore. In fact, it would have been a pleasure, and almost an honor.

But wait. His cellphone. Of course! He took this out and dialed Kyle's number immediately, pressing it up to his ear excitedly. He continued to peer over the crowds as best as he could, keeping a sharp eye on Kyle so that he could see him answer his call when it went through. But when Kyle didn't pick up after five rings, Cartman let out a low curse and snapped his phone shut as he remembered that Kyle likely had his phone turned off. He should have known better, because he knew the reason Kyle did that. It didn't matter much, though, not now. He was getting closer by the second, he could tell. There was a break of people up ahead, and it was clear from there on out as far as he could see. Once he got out of this mass...

Finally, he was free, and he hastily began a sprint for the exit. He could still see Kyle, much closer now, and so in an act of desperation, not giving a damn who turned their heads and looked at him, he began to call out his love's name.

"Kyle!" he belted out, "Kyle! Wait up!"

But Kyle didn't hear. He had shut everything out, focused only on walking briskly out of the building. He was closing in on the automatic double-doors at the entrance, and he tugged his jacket closer around his body to brace for the cold outside.

"Kyle! Kyle, wait!"

Cartman's feet pounded faster, like thunder striking against the ground as he used every ounce of his energy to sustain a quick pace with the luggage flailing about in his right hand.

"Kyle!" he called out again.

Eric Elephant's ears bounced with each step Kyle took, and fluttered lightly in the disturbance of air as he walked through the doors and into the snow. More people moved, pushed, and shoved around him, going in and out of the the building and loading cars that were parked curbside. With the hustle and bustle louder and livelier than before, Kyle didn't hear the pounding of feet behind him or the heavy breathing of a running man closing in on him. The only thing that broke through his barrier of isolation was a touch, a rough grab to the shoulder, which made him jerk in shock, yelp, and spin around to meet his assailant.

What, or rather who, he saw had his heart stopping in his chest, and then fluttering like a leaf in the breeze.

"Oh my god, Eric!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here? Y-You're going to miss your flight!" He would have immediately jumped into his boyfriend's arms, but the initial shock was still holding his body in place. All he could do was stare in awe and stutter.

Cartman proudly shook his head and waved his ticket in front of him. "Not anymore. Flight's canceled." He stuffed the ticket back in his pocket and set his luggage down on the ground to hold his arms out, a wide grin on his face. "Looks like I'm staying for now."

"I... I-I..." At a complete loss for words, Kyle simply chose to pull his elephant away from his chest into his right hand before he tackled Cartman with a large, warm, loving hug. Wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck, Kyle let tears of joy slip down his cheeks and run off his chin as he buried his face into Cartman's neck, knowing he couldn't ask for anything more than this moment. He of course wouldn't dare to. It was all he could ask for, and more. The anxiety and heartbreak of being torn apart from Cartman was gone now, and all he could feel was love. Love that he was giving out, and love he was taking in.

Cartman hugged Kyle just as tightly back, pressing his cheek firmly against Kyle's head. His fingers dug as far down as they could into Kyle's thick jacket as he held him close, his heat seeping into the boy's body and Kyle's heat seeping into his. Though he knew that he didn't come damn to close missing Kyle as much as Kyle missed him (he knew this very well, even as Kyle cried openly into the collar of his jacket), Cartman could feel that he felt just as complete as Kyle did now. The two of them were both like missing puzzle pieces, and when they were fit together they _fit. _They were so much a part of each other that they both found it hard to pull away.

But, finally, the embrace came to a temporary end. As Kyle wiped away his tears on his sleeve, Cartman smiled warmly and lovingly straightened his jacket before he leaned in to give his boyfriend a long, passionate, damn-well-memorable kiss on the lips. Kyle, blush growing on his face, kissed back eagerly, then pulled back and gave Cartman his brightest grin of the day.

"You...," he swallowed and looked up at his boyfriend, readjusting Eric Elephant against his chest again, "You have no idea how _happy _I am to hear that. Really." He licked his lips, then bit them, and lurched forward for another hug, locking himself in place and refusing to pull away. "I missed you so much... even if it was only for half an hour."

Cartman couldn't help but smile in return and pat his boyfriend on the back gingerly. "I know, baby. I know that more than anything. You know why?" When Kyle pulled back and gave him a curious look, he smiled wider and let out a chuckle. "Because I missed you, too." And he poked Kyle's nose, simply adoring the boy when he laughed and shied away from his hand. "Now, come on. Let's go home. I'll make you some hot cocoa, and we can snuggle on the couch."

Kyle took Cartman's now outstretched hand and smiled. "Alright. But only if Eric can sit in the middle." And he held up the elephant, who was no doubt begging for attention at the moment.

"Of course, baby." Cartman chuckled and ruffled the elephant's ears much like he would his boyfriend's hair; in pure affection. "Anything you want." He then gave Kyle a tender look and, before picking up his luggage again, gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kyle echoed adoringly, returning to his usual self very quickly. "Now let's go, I'm fucking cold."

Cartman laughed at this, taking Kyle's hand in his and leading him out into the parking lot. "I hear you there, babe." He sighed in relief when he saw their car, and fully relaxed his shoulders as they reached it. He threw his luggage in the trunk, its final resting place for the day, before he got in the car and started it up, Kyle right at his side. Looking at his boyfriend one last time, he smiled tenderly and put the car into reverse, pulling it out and heading straight for the main road.

"Let's go home."

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**AN: Was that story enough to make up for my absence? Or do you still not really remember my name? I hope not because that would be terrible. D: Still, it wouldn't be a shock. I've been gone for months. I hope that this story was enough, though. I worked hard on it. I'm actually... proud of it. Yeah, I know. What a shocker, since I don't like most of my stuff.**

**So, hey. If you did like it, like a lot, I would be ecstatic if you reviewed! Like, really, really ecstatic. Like Cartman finding his flight canceled so he can run back to snuggle Kyle ecstatic. Because I wanna know if you guys are still there with me. XP**

**That's all for now, though! As for things like RMA, if you're wondering... I have no clue. Maybe when I'm a little better I'll get back to it. Honestly, I haven't looked at that thing in months. *cowers***

**Now I need sleep. X3 See you guys next time!**

**-Soul**


End file.
